Anya Dawnmourn
Anya Dawnmourn is a death knight of the Ebon Blade. Appearance Anya has deathly white skin and long, snowy white hair. Seldom seen in anything but dark, heavy armour, she seems accustomed to wearing plate, and moves effortlessly in it. Even more rarely will she be seen without a weapon; often a large two-handed sword, runeforged and bound to her back. Whenever handling the runeblade, she does so with ability and precision, displaying an acute sense of familiarity with it. She stands at average height for a female elf, and her figure is lithe, slender and toned. There seems to be a dark grace about her, and she carries herself with somehow chilling self-assurance. Her facial expression is vacant in an almost dreamy way; her eyes veiled by the blue glow that grants them that strange, unspecified stare; whilst her soft, feminine features might even be considered beautiful. Background The beginning of Anya’s story dates back to a mere six years, for all memory she has begins when she was turned Scourge; and even so, the recollections amount to occasional flashbacks. While she may claim not to fully remember, what she lived through dictated who she has become. She may occasionally speak knowingly of things pertaining to said years; however, if directly confronted on the matter, she shows inability—or unwillingness—to speak further of it. The reason behind such reluctance is unclear. The memories she does have encompass a range of random, unconnected things—scenes, places, people, voices; from the still image of an insignificant object to flashes of battles or replays of conversations. Any history of the years prior—her entire “living” life—does not as of yet exist in her mind. It is thereby unknown how she came to be a death knight, and whether she pledged her soul freely or otherwise. Thereafter A New Beginning Free from the Scourge, Anya returned to Quel'Thalas. Having joined the Ebon Blade in vowing to defeat the Scourge, she continued to train and hone her skills. She would head to Outland, remaining there for the following months, lending her aid where needed. A lone wolf, she'd seldom visit Silvermoon, and when she did, she spoke to few. As the months passed she joined an underworld organization that dealt in shady, yet profitable business. Anya did it for the connections, the experience, and to a smaller extent the profit. It is there that she met Zelji Sul'athanz and Keldaeris Dawnfury. Lezel Snakegut, also a member of the organization, had been her acquaintance prior to her joining, and perhaps was her first friend. Membership to the group changed little to nothing of her overall behaviour, and she continued to act cold and distant to those around her (with the sole exception of Lezel, perhaps). She did jobs consecutively for the organization, yet as the months passed something began to stir in her; an urge to do something greater. She made the decision to leave the underworld. She'd been hearing of a newly-formed military order by the name of Eburi Knights, and presented herself to its leader, Markus Flashheart. They spoke, and a week later she would join the order. She arrived in uniform, knelt before the Knight-Lord and was Knighted. Soon news would come that the organization she had been in had fallen apart. Lezel Snakegut disappeared, and Anya would only see him again many months later, sat on the floor in Murder Row, blinded and in rags. She fervently vowed to punish whoever had done that to him, but he said they would discuss it at a later date. He left saying he might come back one day. Unbeknownst to her, life as Anya knew it had begun an irrevocable change. A New Life The change in life did not come smoothly, and while she slipped seamlessly into a role of soldier and agent of superiors' will, easing into the social aspects of the new Order was a long, drawn-out process that never did come to full fruition. The soldiers were in great part vocal, outgoing, a certain casualness in which they spoke and related, whilst Anya seemed to remain shelled up in her own world, observant yet distant, aware yet self-contained. As the Knight-Lord's bodyguard, Anya accompanied him in his duties, escorting him in Sunday sermons held in a long-abandoned church in the Plagued lands. She was at times invited to sit and listen; silently she would watch, half-fascinated, half- in daydream. Rising in rank as Knight-Veteran, and soon of Officerial status as Knight-Commissar, her duties entailed recruitment and dealing with external affairs, as well as oft commanding in battle. A few but long-lasting friendships were made with fellow-soldiers: Ilmaz, a quiet yet powerful warrior, seemed to get along with her from early days, and would prove to be a most loyal friend. Holden Silverbreeze would join the Order a little later, and with his light-hearted, vivacious demeanour, somehow catch Anya's interest and stir in her a friendship. Zhahara Bloodheart, an outspoken and rather feminine Keeper later to be instated as Officer, instilled in Anya a same sort of feeling as Holden, with her genuine attitude and frank heart. Anya found herself caring for those people, longing for their safety and welbeing. . .as though her heart were for the first time allowing itself to—-just slightly—-feel. Outside of this circle, Anya was introduced to part of Flashheart's family line, including his cousin—-Ravenya Sin'Drathir, and her fiancée. A rather deep bond would build between the Lady and her, in a sense which an admiration Anya held for her as a strong, beautiful woman developed a desire to protect and be loyal. Anya's submissive, dutiful behaviour seemed to generally please the eyes of the Sin'Drathir, who occasionally praised her and at times requested that she be guardian to one of theirs. A strange sort of friendship was built with Tethenar Drakefire, the Lady's fiancée. It seemed to mostly revolve around Anya's wish to help in making the relationship work for Lady Ravenya. Speaking to him on occasion, trying to sort out occurring matters between the two, Anya got to know the rather stern, self-oriented blood knight, and grew a kind of attachment to him. This—as well as the desire to return him to the grieving Lady—is what led her to gather her belongings and search for Tethenar in the frosty wastes of Icecrown for nearly a month at a time he'd been given for dead, relentlessly. The disbelief and shock of finding him half-dead, half-alive and in a cage within a Scourge prison almost surpassed the thankfulness of bringing him home. How the story played out after, with the Lady disbelieving that it was him in truth, and his shock and subsequent withdrawal from the Lady's repentant heart, was not something Anya had control over. Not what anyone had planned—-yet nothing that could be altered. Anya had done what she had set out to do; he was alive. Anya would remain a part of the Order until the fall of the Lich King, where a drastic change would take place once more. Personality It could be said that Anya has a somewhat difficult personality, one that tends to be hard to accept, and perhaps even more so to understand. Her time as Scourge shaped her, for it was the only life she knew. It affected her wholly; her character, her perception of the world, and how she interacts with others: Seemingly devoid of feelings and emotions, she is normally cold and distant. She does not feel bound by morals, and does not appear to follow common rules of conduct that society nurtures. She is somewhat unstable, and her demeanour can change drastically and without warning. She doesn’t see the world very clearly. She may see it, but in almost dreamlike consciousness—reality does not feel real to her mind. She’s become used to it; rather, it’s “always” been this way. However, it results in emptiness and somewhat dreaminess of her usual attitude and speech. Anya does not see the meaning in fostering personal relationships; there is usually a purpose if she seeks someone out. She sees importance in certain types of connections, but won't aim for “friendship”. She may be loyal at times, but only as long as she so desires. Trivia * Anya is barely aware of her "oddness", and perhaps even less of the reasons behind it. * Dawnmourn is an alteration of her original last name, which she changed herself upon becoming a death knight. * Icecrown is the place she is the most familiar with, in a “homeland” sense. Quotes : "I am a place of death." : "Death is overrated." Links * Diary * Art thread Gallery anyaflowers.jpg|Anya Dawnmourn Untitled-1.jpg|Anya and Wraithos Category:Characters Category:Characters